Denying
by Nihal Tonks-Lupin
Summary: AU, Marinette starts at her first job at a firm. A few days later, a boy starts working with her. She is sure she knows him, but can't remember from where. Meanwhile, her secret job begins to show results in Paris.
1. To Meet

**A/N:** Hello, dearest fandom! Here we go again! Well, a couple of things to say before you start to read:

a) Yes, another one of my friends fell victim of my fanfics. I was staying at her place for a couple of months because of college related stuff (we live in different states), and she, let's call her Good End, had the misfortune of having me around when all the things I wrote about in the fanfic happened.

b) Yes, she gave me permission to write about it (she actually _demanded_ it)

c) This is like 80% of what really happened. The rest I changed to fit the characters' personalities.

d) These events are still in progress. Which means I know how the fanfic will end, but I can't say the same about Good End's real life story.

e) This also means that I don't know how many chapter it will have, but you can expect at least 5.

* * *

She was feeling very good. It was Monday morning, not her favorite day of the week, and yet she felt great.

The day before she went to a certain place, wore a certain costume, saved some lives and everyone was happy. She had help, like she always had. Her partner never let her down, even when she called him on week days, asking for his help. She had never seen his face without the mask, but trusted him with her life.

And, because of all they did on Sunday, she felt good.

She had started on her new job just 2 weeks previously. Waking up early, choosing carefully what to wear, she entered her car and turned the sound up. She couldn't say why this day felt different from the others, it just did.

"Morning, Rose!"

"Good morning, Marinette! You look great today! I mean, you always look really nice, but…"

"Don't worry, Rose. It was a compliment, I got it." Marinette cut her, laughing.

As she called the elevator, she heard a high pitched voice entering the building and took a deep breath. _She_ was not going to ruin her good mood.

"Oh _look_. If it isn't Dupain-Cheng. You look annoyingly happy today. What happened to you on the weekend? Bought more of those horrible clothes you love so much?"

Marinette turned to her, a smile glued to her face.

"Have a _great_ morning, Chloe! Enjoy the reception desk." and got in the elevator pushing the 20th floor button, closing the doors before the blond girl could get in.

She sat on her chair, tidied her desk, turned her computer on, got her drawing tablet out of her bag and started working. Her colleagues arrived as well, greeted her, and went to their respectives desks. Alya, always late, waved Marinette a sleepy "hello" and sat on the workstation next to her. Five minutes later, Ms. Bustier came in. Behind her came a blond boy looking equally pleased to be there and worried he would make a complete mess.

"Good morning everyone!" Four heads looked up from their computers and above their workstations to greet their HR director. "So, I have news for you!"

"You're not forcing us into vacation again, are you?" Max said, looking worried. "We just want to work, Ms. Bustier!"

The rest of them laughed, but Ms. Bustier simply adjusted her glasses.

"No, Max. I'm here to introduce you to your new co-worker. This is Adrien."

She motioned for him to come forward. He beamed, and raised a hand to greet them.

"Hi everyone! I'm Adrien. I'm very pleased to meet you."

Alya raised one eyebrow as the guys said hi to Adrien and turned to Marinette.

"He looks somewhat shy, don't you think? I think this is the first time he does that. Ever."

"What, do you mean this is his first job?"

"Yes. Well, you looked exactly the same two weeks ago when you arrived here. And he looks rich. Like, _really_ rich. I bet I would've to work a whole year to buy clothes like that."

Marinette registered little of what her best friend said after that. She gave a better look at him and something clicked inside her. The only thing she could think of was _'I think I've seen him before'_.

"What's wrong with you? Have you skipped breakfast again? You look weird."

"What? No." Marinette blinked and shook her head. "I just need some coffee."

She got up and walked towards the door, but before she could reach it Adrien called her.

"Hey. I don't know your name. I'm Adrien." He extended his hand to her. It took her a few seconds to remember how to move.

"Right. Yes. I know. I mean, my name is Marinette." She shook his hand awkwardly. "I'm going to get some coffee, do you want some?

She regretted saying it the moment the words escaped her mouth. What was she thinking, talking to him like that? He raised a hand to his mouth and chuckled, amused by some internal joke she didn't get.

"No, I'm not really into coffee. I'm more a tea kinda guy. But thanks."

"Oh, ok." Feeling her cheeks burning, she opened the door and left. A minute later Alya came after her.

"What the hell whas _that_?"

"That what?"

Alya crossed her arms in front of her, smirking.

"Oh, nothing. Only that _tension_ between you two."

"You're imagining things. Here, have a coffee, you need it more than me. This might be abstinence.

She forced a cup on her hand and returned to her desk with one of her own. Marinette knew Alya was right. Something happened. She couldn't explain what yet, but _something happened_. Adrien was no longer in her room when she got back and she caught herself thinking if he would work at another floor. What would he do, anyway? Everyone there had a different assignment, but Ms. Bustier never said what his would be. She sipped her coffee and looked through the glass walls to the room next to hers, but realized that was a mistake when she almost choked with her hot drink. Ms. Bustier was showing Adrien his workstation, which she could easily see through the open door of her own room. They'd work every day just a side glance away from each other. Her stomach jumped inside her.

"Oh, Lord."

Marinette had entirely forgotten her good mood in the morning. Alya looked at her confused friend and sighed. She wondered how many days would pass before Marinette realized what was going on.

The next day Marinette arrived at work already feeling anxious. She spent all night trying to remember why Adrien looked so familiar but to no good. She wanted to ask him, but she knew very well she would never have the guts to do so. She had to force herself to work without looking at the next room every five seconds to see what he was doing. Every time he stood up to talk to someone or do something in his room she could still him through the glass walls. She cursed those damn glass walls. Whose idea was that? She missed concrete.

He had barely given her a good morning that day, but as soon as she got her bag and meant to leave for lunch, he did the same and met her at the elevator.

"Hello, Marinette." He said, with a friendly smile.

She tried to greet him back, but what came out of her mouth was something between a "hi" and a sigh. She pushed the elevator button and didn't dare to look at him again. At least until he called her one more time.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask you."

She waited, her heart beating fast, although she could not tell why yet. Alya would've rolled her eyes.

"Do we… know each other? When Ms. Bustier introduced me to the team yesterday I looked at you and… I don't know. It felt like I knew you."

Marinette opened her mouth to answer, but they heard the sound of the elevator doors opening and got in. They were alone.

"I… I really don't know. I had that feeling too, but I have no idea if we've seen each other before."

"Hum…" He thought for a moment. "I guess we'll just have to give it time. And – he smiled – if we really don't know each other, we will now."

Feeling her face hot and her heart melting on her chest, they reached the ground floor. Adrien looked at her as if he was about to say something else when his phone rang.

"Adrien. Yes. Right away, Nathalie. I'm on my way."

Marinette left the building first, not wanting to eavesdrop his phone call, but burning with curiosity. Then she froze. Looking at the billboard right in front of her building, she now understood what Alya meant with "really rich": There it was a giant picture of Adrien for a perfume ad. Adrien reached her a few second later, still talking on the phone, and his reaction was the same: he stood there, petrified, looking at his own giant face.

"Father…" he whispered angrily, and went down the street. Marinette, confused, went the opposite direction.

They never talked more than a few words the following days. Which only served to make Marinette more and more "curious" about him. Alya rolled her eyes every time her friend said she was only trying to remember where they had met before.

"You keep telling yourself that. When you decide to hear the truth, you come to me, please."

Marinette faked deafness.

What she could not deny was how much he attracted her. He was handsome, extremely nice to everybody, punctual, efficient at his job. And yet she could not bring herself to talk to him. She sttutered, he smiled, trying to encourage her, and she fled. They had the briefest of interaction when the company threw him a little collective birthday party at Friday and she allowed herself to give him a hug.

Marinette was starting to feel very comfortable inside her bubble of shyness, the thought of having anything more with him never crossing her mind. Alya was _seething_. It pained her to see her best friend struggling to have a simple talk with the guy. But soon Marinette would not be able to escape interaction. And she had no idea yet of how much interaction she was about to have.

The following week they all received an email from the boss: on Friday they would have a corporate day out. Bowling.


	2. To Play

**A/N:** I'm sorry. I'm so so so sorry. I know it's been AGES. I promised to post sooner but life happened. But college is finally over (I'm a true veterinarian now! Yay me!) and I got to finish chapter 2. In my defense, Good End is developing her story very slowly too. Seriously, girl, get on with it. I won't promise to post again soon because I don't want you guys to hate me. I'll try though.

Good reading, and thanks you all for the reviews s2

* * *

A black dotted red outfit. A black leather outfit with cat ears. Their movements were synchronized, as always, and they didn't need to say anything. His silver staff defeating invisible enemies, her red-and-black yo-yo flying around and catching imaginary foes. When they finished, they bowed and left. The room they were just in now was filled with the sound of kids cheering and clapping, their excitement spreading through the whole hospital.

"You were specially commited today, my lady."

"Are you saying I was lacking commitment before?"

She laughed at his terrified expression. There was nothing better than teasing him.

Chat Noir. She wondered, for the thousandth time, what was his real name. That thought was very brief, though. Ladybug, as she called herself when wearing that costume, couldn't remember _why_ they kept their identities a secret when they first met, but now they didn't know _how_ to reveal it without being too awkward. In their logic, it was less awkward to run around a place wearing a ladybug's and a cat's costume. _'It's because of the mask.'_ Ladybug thought.

"Hidden by the masks, we can be whoever we want to be." She said in a whisper.

"What?" he asked.

"Oh, it's nothing. I was talking to myself."

He threw his bag over his shoulder. "Well, it's time to go, my lady. I gotta go to work. Today is gonna be a big day for me."

He kissed her hand, the same way he did every time. He turned to leave, but turned back to look at her.

"You know, you can be the same person with or without the mask. It's not the mask what makes you who you are." He smiled, a smile she almost recognized. "And I'd be very happy to prove it to you, if only you would let me see your face."

Chat Noir waved goodbye and left. He wouldn't press her on the matter. She would do it when she felt ready. It was not like _he_ would ever let her see his face.

Taking off the mask, Marinette looked as he crossed the street. She sighed.

"You should show him who you are, Miss Ladybug."

Startled, she looked around and saw one of the kids out of the room, smiling.

"Why?"

"Because you're pretty. He'll like you."

She laughed. "If he's going to like me just because I'm pretty, then I really shouldn't show him my face. The mystery serves me better."

The little girl shrugged and turned to go back to her bed. "Your loss. He's really pretty too."

Before Marinette could ask her what she meant, the girl disappeared through the door.

That "work" at the hospital began totally by chance. She was watching TV with her mother and it was showing the harshness of a life lived at a hospital, very sick children not able to go home with their families because of endless treatments. Marinette wanted to do something for them, but didn't know what. Then, the very next day she found the costume inside a box on her doorstep and the idea just came to her.

It was also by chance that Chat Noir went to the hospital with the same idea in mind. They decided to pretend to be superheroes and came up with a routine to cheer up the kids. The kids loved it. It was as if a part of the outside world belonged to them. Life could be a little happier. Marinette and her partner tried to show up as many days a week as they could.

That Friday they woke up very early and surprised the kids just after they had taken their morning medications.

She should be going. Chat Noir said it would be a big day for him, but it was a pretty important day to her too. Today they'd have the corporate day out and she spent the whole week anxious about it. The only this was: her wrist was aching badly because of her performance at the hospital.

At work, Alya was about to strangle her. Marinette spent the whole morning avoiding Adrien, like she had a specific amount of time she could bear to be near him in the same day, and she would save it all for later. And yet, she felt like it was not the time to talk to her. Marinette should admit it first. Maybe this corporate day out would be a good thing for them. She could see her friend struggling, but something was telling her that _he_ had a struggle of his own. Alya occasionally would glance from Marinette to Adrien from her desk. Marinette, most of the time, would try to concentrate on her work, but Adrien… Well, Adrien was a mystery.

He always seemed _too_ focused on his computer screen, like he was forcing his head not to turn and look at the other room. He was _always_ on the phone when they left for lunch, disappeared for the whole hour, then would come back and not say a word about it. He would greet everyone with a polite "hello" every morning and Alya saw how confused her friend would get trying to understand his actions.

Work day would be shorter that Friday, so that they could go bowling in the afternoon. When they were about to leave, Alya and Marinette were alone at the elevator.

"Doesn't he look shy to you?" Alya asked her.

"Shy? You're crazy. He talks easily to everyone, he is always very kind and… and…"

"He is a model with a giant picture of his handsome blond self right in front of our building, yes. But still. He never engages in long and passionate conversations. Nino, Max and Kim are always talking about some new game, or tv show, or music, but Adrien only listens. It's like he's too shy to talk about himself. And then there's you."

"Me?!"

"Yes. He literally _avoids_ talking to you. It's very odd, I've noticed a few days ago. He says "hi" and "bye" and that's it."

The elevator stopped and they got out, walking towards the parking lot.

"I think you're seeing too much."

"Well, we'll find out today."

They got in their own cars and a few minutes later they met with the rest of their friends. Kim, Nino, Max, Ivan and some others were gathering up in front of the bowling lanes. Luckily, Chloe refused to go and "break her perfect finger nails".

"We'll have to split up in two groups, there's too many people. We can put six of us here, and the rest can play over there. Agreed?"

Everyone agreed, Marinette and Alya went with the smaller group.

"Where's Adrien?" Marinette asked.

Just as she asked, Adrien came in and went straight to her group.

"That's it? I thought there would be more people." He said, disappointed.

"No, the rest of the guys are over there." Max pointed at the other lane.

"Oh, I get it. Should I go over there or…"

"No. Absolutely not. You're staying right here." Alya pushed him toward the line to put his name on the screen.

Marinette kept a safe distance from him, holding her wrist and hoping she would bear the pain to play. Adrien put his name and stepped away to let her do the same, and noticed her arm.

"Marinette, are you ok? Your arm seems to be injured. Will you be able to play?"

But those were magical words to her. Marinette and her father always had passionate contests in a bowling match. She would not let it go so easily.

"Oh I'm fine. Don't worry."

She was not fine. After the first round, her wrist was aching horribly, but no more than her pride. She looked up at the leaderboard and grunted. Max was leading, followed by Alya, Ivan and Nathaniel. Then there was her and finally Adrien.

"We should take a lane for the two of us and stop embarrassing ourselves in front of the guys. Then we could play as badly as we wanted." He said, with a very funny sad look on his face.

He seemed different somehow. Everytime they sat down to wait for their turn, he would start talking to her. To her enormous surprise, she would talk back to him. Without stammering or avoiding his gaze. Discreetly, Alya observed them and smiled. ' _So, Mari_ can _talk to him like a normal person."_

"What do you mean you like _Star Wars_?" he asked, shocked.

"I _am_ wearing a BB-8 t-shirt, I'm sure you've noticed. Alya made me watch so we could go together see episode VII at the movies and I loved it."

"What else have you been keeping secret from me? Wait, I'll be right back, it's my turn. I'm gonna steal your place at the leaderboard."

She said nothing. And when he came back scoring a total of zero points, he said he would cheer for her.

"I feel bad. I don't want you to be the last."

"I won't. I'm never letting you surpass me."

"Wait, what? Here I am, cheering for you, and you don't even care! What have I done to you?"

Marinette ignored him and scored, sinking him a little more in the last place at the leaderboard.

"Seriously, what have I done to you?"

She smiled. "You dared pity me."

"You're injured! You're not supposed to play better than me! Besides, I'm totally out of shape. I'm having a bad time because it's been ages since I stopped swimming, that's why I'm so bad today."

"Now that you mentioned it, I think I have an idea."

"What do you mean?"

She smiled again and got up to play her turn. Holding the ball with her left hand, she threw it and got a strike.

"Oh no. You're not doing that. You're not playing with your left hand just because your right is injured. _What have I done to you_? Why do you hate me so much?"

Alya almost choked on her drink trying to supress a laugh. She was listening to their conversation and could not believe it. They were _really_ talking. She was not shy, and he was not avoiding her. Maybe there was still hope for them.

"You know, we've done this before. A corporate day out with bowling. Last time Alya turned her back to the pins and got a strike by throwing the ball between her legs. It was hilarious!"

"I'm sure it was. I just hope you don't try to do that today just to humiliate me even more!"

Marinette continued to play with her left hand and climb up the leaderboard. Adrien tried to look annoyed but his smile betrayed him.

He would ask everyone around him _"Do you know what did I do to Marinette hate me?"_. Max and Ivan would look confused and avoid sitting next to them. That would make them laugh like there was this private joke no one would get.

The game ended and all of them got together at the exit door.

"Well, I see you guys Monday!" Max said, very satisfied at winning the game on his group.

Everyone said goodbye and left.

Alya and Marinette walked toward their cars, Marinette feeling so light she thought a slight breeze would carry her away.

"Today was fun!" Alya tried to bring her back from the clouds. "Could you believe I'd get another strike by throwing the ball between my legs, just like last time?"

"Wait. You did that? When?"

"When you were too busy laughing with Adrien, I suppose."

Marinette blushed, but would not bite.

"You're lying. You didn't do that."

"I'm telling you. _I did_. Ask anyone."

"I will!"

That night, she got home and threw herself on her bed, a smile so big she was sure her face would hurt the entire weekend. Marinette was having a hard time believing all that really happened. She never thought it was possible to talk like that to Adrien. They had a very similar sense of humour. They were lacking the same social skills. The aspects where they were different, somehow they completed each other. It was like they knew each other forever.

It took less than a second for that thought to enter her mind.

Then it hit her so hard she forgot how to breathe for a moment.

They _did_ knew each other forever. Or least, since college.


End file.
